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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · shower · rock · pop · trunk · capital · cue · bay

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stock — shares
  5. shower — rain
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. capital — a city
  10. rock — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. stock — goods
  15. cue — a hint
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. capital — money
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com